The present invention relates to compounds defined below that inhibit the enzyme glycinamide ribonucleotide formyl transferase (GARFT). The invention also relates to intermediates for preparing these compounds, to pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds, to their use to inhibit GARFT and to their use to inhibit the growth or proliferation of the cells of higher organisms or microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast and fungi. The compounds have antitumor, antiinflammatory, antipsoriatic and/or immunosuppressive activity. The invention also relates to the preparation of these compounds.
The large class of antiproliferative agents includes antimetabolite compounds. A particular subclass of antimetabolites known as antifolates or antifoles are antagonists of the vitamin folic acid. Typically, antifolates closely resemble the structure of folic acid and incorporate the characteristic P-benzoyl glutamate moiety of folic acid. The glutamate moiety of folic acid takes on a double negative charge at physiological pH. Therefore, this compound and its analogs have an active energy driven transport system to cross the cell membrane and exert a metabolic effect.
Glycinamide ribonucleotide formyl transferase (GARFT) is a folate dependent enzyme in the de novo purine biosynthesis pathway. This pathway is critical to cell division and proliferation. Shutting down this pathway is known to have an antiproliferative effect, in particular, an antitumor effect. Thus, a number of folate analogs have been synthesized and studied for their ability to inhibit GARFT. A prototypical specific tight binding inhibitor of GARFT, 5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolic acid, has been reported to show antitumor activity. See F. M. Muggia, "Folate antimetabolites inhibitor to de novo purine synthesis," New Drugs, Concepts and Results in Cancer Chemotherapy, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston (1992), 65-87.